Selective printing machine



Septf 8, 1936 K w. T. GoLLwlTzER I 2,053,283

SELECTIVE RINTING MACHINE Sept# 8, 1936- w. T. GoLLwlTzER v SELECTIVE PRINTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1955 SePt- 8, 1936 w. T. GoLLwlTzl-:R 2,053,283

sELEcTI'vE PRINTING MACHINE Filled Jan. 14, 1955 5 sheets-sheet :s

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EDD EEG D zo@ N v MI, afm@ Sept 8, 1935- w. T. GoLLwlTzER l 2,053,283 I SELECTIVB PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 191:53 5 sheets-sheet 4 EG. 'Z50 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 d unirse I Ysri-ire n 2,053,283 l i sELnc'rIvE .PRINTING MACHINE Walter T. Gollwitzer, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner,

by mesne assignments, to AddressographMultigraph Corporation, poration of Delaware Cleveland, Ohio, a 'c'or- Application January 14, 193s, serial No. 651,686

9 Claims.

This invention relates to printing machines and more especially to .a selector .mechanism for printing machines .of the character used to make impressions from .a series of individual printing .devices which aresequentially progressed through the machine.

'Inthe past, printing machines of the type mentioned have been constructed to print with the selected. printing .devices .and .skip all other devices. TheY selectionlof. the printing devices 'has been made .in various manners, one of which is illustrated in my .copending application, Serial No. 503,160, nledDecember 1'7, 1930. .Such selectors are usually .controlled by suitable indicia s carried by printing devices, such as by removable tabs, notches, openings or the like.

v.'Il'iegeneral object of the present invention is to Aprovide aneriicient arrangement to .enable the printing mechanism -to .print with selected printing .devices and skip the non-selected'printing device, or to skip selected printing devices and VVprint with the non-selected printing devices, as desired.

.A further object is to provide a selector control mechanism which may readily be associated with various types of printing machinesalready in use, as well .as incorporated ininewly constructedmachines.

A .still further object is to provide .a .selector VVmechanism which will coact vmechanically with .the `tabs .or other indicia carried bythe .printing devices, .but which mechanism will .control the operation of the printing machine .through an electrically operated mechanism, which may Vbe readily controlled by tbeoperator .to print or to Vskipselected printing devices as desired.

Other .objects of this invention will become more Yapparent from the following description, which refers to .a lpreferred .embodiment .of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

v In .the drawings, Figa-1 and2 are vertical longitudinally extending sections. through .a ,printing machine .embodying my invention, as indicated bythe correspondingly numbered lines .on

Fig. .3;.1Fg. 3 is a horizontal section .as indicated by the lines V3--3 .on Fig. i; Fig. -4 is aftransverse vertical section 4as indicated by theA lines 4--4 `on Fig. 3,; Fig. 5 is a plan view of. one form Off printing devices'v which .may be employed in the machine.; Figs. 6 and 7 vare perspective views of 'tabs which maybe removably .Dositioned on the ,printing devices; Figs. 8 to 10 v.inclusive arefragmentary views, in substantially 'the same plane `as Fig. 1, but on an enlarged (Cl.'101-58') l scale, ,and .illustrate various positions .of the mechanism; Figs. A1l ,to 15, inclusive, .are electrical diagrams illustrating the various .electrical circuits to accomplish theselectionfcr itostopithe machine, asv desired.

. In the accompanying drawings, I .have .illustrated my invention .as embodied in .a ,printing machine which may, for example, be .of the character' disclosed .in my Patent .No 1,930,798, issued .October 17., 1933, Serial No. 503,160, filed December i8, 19.30. Such machine includes .a frame L0, which .supports aprinting .device magazine M, .a .printing `platen .P, together with suitableinechanismto feed printing devices Dacross the table of -then'iachine from the magazine to an anvil U5 located below .the platen. y

In fthe mechanism illustrated in the drawings, the printing Vdevicesare stacked in .the-magazine M by the operator and are successively withdravvnftherefrom andpassed along aguideway `by pawls 2i .suitablymounted onV feed bars 2.2. The feed bars 2.2 .are carried by flanged rollers 23, which kare rrotatable on studs Acarried by the side Wallscf. the guideway. Y l

The feed -bars are `reciprocated `from a .drive `vrockerd which is-rotatablyjournalled onashait .carried by kthemain .fra-me lfrand is .oscillated .in rany well-.known "manner, Pivotally iconnected vto the slide bars .22 by .alink 30 is abell -crank -3 I., `which iismounted on -a .stud 32 :carried by the frame l0. The bell crank 3i isconnected `bya link-33 `to arock arm :34, pivotally mounted konasha'ft .35 carried by the frame 1.0. The rock arm 34 is connected .by a link A36 to the r.driving arm Y2li, heretofore mentioned. '.Ihis arrange `ment `is such that, when the driving .arm ..24 vswings in a clockwise direction theY feed `bars will -be drawn rearwardly toward Ithe left in Fig. 2)., and'when-the rcckarm r2li -is swung in a-.counter-.clockwise .direction .the feed -.bars will be .drawn forwardly (.towardtherig-ht). During the llatteror forward movementkof the -vfeedbars, the pawls 2|y .engage the plates andv advance them stepV by step from the 4magazine to a position above sananvil 40, Yin which ,position the printingdevice DI is shown. f Y The platen P .is of the oscillatorytypeand is vmounted ,so .as to fstrike the printingvdevices, while `theyare at rest -on @the anvil `YMl. .'As shown' in .Fig the platenis Vcarried .on the outermost end ofa-,platen arm 41which ispivotally mounted on the shaft heretofore described. The lower end of r`the ,platen .arm M. is ,provided with a .roller Y1.3 arranged to .coact -with .a .cam ,slot I4 ina leverlli pivotally mountedonitheshaft 25. :15.'5

The oscillating movement of the driving arm 24 is imparted to the platen driving arm 45 through the medium of a latch 41, which is 0perated by a selector mechanism hereinafter more fully described. Consequent upon the clockwise movement of the driving arm 24, the movement of the arm 45 and its cam 44 swings the platen in a clockwise direction toward the anvil 40' and an impression is made from the printing device through a suitable inking ribbon, not shown.

As shown in the drawings, the selector mechanism includes a detector carriage 50, arranged to operate upon the printing devices when they are in the position of the device D2 of Fig. 2, which position is immediately preceding the printing position indicated by the device DI. As shown Vin the drawings, the detector is in the nature of a bail overhanging the guideway 2| and pivoted to a shaft 52 carried by the frame. The arrangement is such that the detector carriage 50 projects over selector tabs T which are carried on the far end of the printing devices, as shown in Fig. 5.

The .detector carriage 50 includes a plate 53 provided with a series of openings 54, there being shown four openings arranged above each possible position of the tabs, which are removably positioned in notches I1 of the printing devices. Pins 55 may be selectively inserted in the openings 54 and retained in place therein by a cover plate, the pins depending below the lowermost surface of the carriage. The detector unit 50, the carriage together with the pins 55 are urged downwardly as a unit by a compression spring 60, which is interposed between the carriage 50 and a rock arm 56, and is engaged once in each cycle of operation by a pawl 51 pivotally carried by the rock arm 34 heretofore mentioned.

The selection is made by oscillating the carriage 50, causing it to move downward. If, on this downward movement, one of the pins 55 strike an abutment on the tab, further downward movement of the carriage is prevented and the selector mechanism operates to position the latch 41 to produce the desired effect as to the printing or skipping of the selected printing device.

'Ihe latch-mechanism 41 controls the operation of the platen, but has no effect upon the plate feed members 22. This latch comprises a latch member 10, pivoted at 1| to the driving arm 24, and normally retained in an uppermost or normal position, the end 15 thereof engages a block 16 carried by the cam arm 45.

When the driving arm 24 is returned or moved in a counter-clockwise direction, it carries with it the cam arm 45. e To this end, a block 16 is secured to the forward (right hand) face of the arm 45 and extends beyond its farthest face into a slotted opening 8| in the arm 24 a distance sufficient to be engaged by the end surface of the slot 8| in the arm 24. Hence, when the arm 24 moves in a counter-clockwise direction the cam arm 45 will be positively drawn in a counterclockwise direction by the driving arm'24.

The latch member 10' of the cam arm clutch 41 is operated by a roller 90 carried by a lever arm 92. When the arm 92 is swung in a clock- Wise direction it acts to cam the latch member `(Fig. l).

I I 0 mounted on the frame I0. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arm 92 is rigidly secured to a transverse shaft IOI, which is rotatably mounted ln the frame I0. Rigidly secured to this shaft is a bell crank II4, one end of which is drawn into engagement with a roller II5 carried by a bell crank I 6, hereinafter to be described more fully. To maintain contact between the arm I I4 and the roller II5, the other arm of the bell crank I I4 is connected by a spring I I1 to the frame I0. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. l, the roller II5 rests on the upper surface |20 of an arm I 2|, pivoted at |22 to the frame |0`, and normally swung in a clockwise direction by a suitable tension spring |23. The movement of the arm |2| is limited by suitable stops |24.

During the time when the selection of the printing device is made by the detector 50, the bell crank II 6, which is pivoted to the frame I0 at |25, is struck by a pawl |30 carried by the rock arm 34, heretofore mentioned, and the bell crank II6 is swung in a counter-clockwise direction. As the `bell crank swings, it raises the roller II5 out of contact with the arm |2|, permitting the spring |23 to swing the arm |2| in a clockwise direction to contact with the left hand pin |24 If, at this time, the detector member has been positioned so as to energize a solenoid I I0, as hereinafter more fully described, a plunger I3I of the solenoid will strike an arm |32 of the member |2|, causing it to swing in a counterclockwise direction, and, as the pawl |30 passes over the shoulder |33 of the lever IIS, the lever will be drawn downwardly through the action of the spring I I1 and the bell crank I I4. This will cause the roller to rest upon the surface |20 of the member I2 I, in which position the lever 92 will remain as shown in Fig. 2, and the latch mechanism will operate to maintain the driving connection between the driving member 24 and the cam arm 45.

If,V at the time the bell crank I I6 is swung clear of the member I2 I, the detector member 50 should be so positioned that it would not cause an energization of the solenoid I I0, the spring |23 would `maintain the member |2| swung in an extreme clockwise direction, in which instance an upwardly extending projection I 36 of the member |2| would lie beneath the path of the roller I|5, and when the pawl |30 disengaged the shoulder |43 of the lever |06 the compression spring |23 would maintain the member |2| in its extreme clockwise position and the roller II5 would rest on the upper surface of the projection |36, causing the bell crank I I4 to be maintained in its extreme clockwise position. This will cause the arm 92 to be in such position that, upon return lmovement of the driving arm 24, the roller of the arm 92 would strike the raised surface |31 of its latch member 10, causing the driving connection of the latch 41, between the driving member 24 and the cam arm 45, to be broken. This, of course, would have noeffect upon the plate feeding mechanism, which would continue to function as long as the driving arm 24 was operating.

There are two positions in which the detector 50 may be stopped. Its downward movement may be stopped by contact of one of the pins 55 with thesurface TI of the tab, or by contact with the tab between a pinand a raised surface T2 of the tab. I have so arranged my mechanism that these positions of the detector 50 operate certain electric switch members to operate the solenoid IIO so as toprint a selected plate and skip all other plates, or to skip the selected plate and print The circuits of the operation just referred to are illustrated in the diagrams of Figs. 14 and 15. When the operator desires to skip the selected plate, the switch 300 is moved from Contact with the switch 2|2 into contact with the'switch 222, making the circuit from the solenoid H pass through the switch 222, rather than through the Y switch 2|2, as heretofore described. Therefore, the switch 2I2 will not be considered in connection with the operation of the mechanism with this position of the switch 308.

Under the above conditions, when the detector 5l) descends, the pins thereof failing to strike a raised portion of a tab, the position of the detector unit is the same as heretofore described in connection with Fig. 10. The switch operating pins will be moved to the same relative position as they were when the switch member 300 was contacting with the switch 2|2. However, the switch 222 will have been closed and the circuit is therefore made through the timing switch 202, the switch 222 and the manually operable switch 300, to the solenoid I I0, energizing such solenoid. This causes the arm I2I to be swung in a counterclockwise direction, which results in maintaining the driving connection between the arm 24 and the arm 45, and the platen will therefore operate to make an impression from the printing device on the next succeeding cycle of operation.

Assuming that the switch 300 still remains in Contact with the switch 222, and a printing device having a raised portion of a tab thereon is positioned beneath the path of the detector 53, the detector member will be stopped short of its full stroke, and the position of the switches will be as illustrated in Fig. 15. In this position it will be noted that the switch member 222 has not been closed. Therefore, the circuit between the closed timing switch 202, the manual switch member 300 and the solenoid H0 is broken at the open switch 222 and the solenoid will not operate. The driving connection between the driving arm 24 and the driving arm 45 is therefore broken, causing the platen to fail to function on the next cycle of operation but permitting the printing device feed to function as usual.

From the foregoing description, it is readily apparent that I have provided a selector device which may be used in conjunction with a printing machine, together with a plurality of individual printing devices having indicia selectively positioned thereon, such as tabs, which selector may be readily controlled by the operator of the machine, so as to cause the apparatus to function to print the selected units and skip the non-selected units, or to print non-selected units and skip selected units.

I claim:

l. In an address printing machine, the combi'- nation of means for feeding address plates having indexes carried thereby to a printing position, means including electric switches and circuits and mechanisms controlled thereby to cooperate with the indexes to control theV printing mechanism, and a manually operable electric switch to, determine whether the machine prints or skips a plate, having indexes cooperating with said means.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with means for feeding serially to printing positiona set of address plates, some of which have index tabs carried thereby, of mechamism adapted to move across the position normally occupied by said tabs, a series of electric contacts actuated according to whetherV the said mechanism engages or misses a predetermined tab,

platen operating mechanism controlled by said contacts, and an electric switch for determining whether the platen will be operated when said mechanism engages aV tab or when it misses predetermined tabs.

3. In a machine of the lcharacter described, the combination of mechanism for feeding address plates serially to printing position, a platen adapted to coact with such plates, platen operating means, mechanism including a solenoid operatively connected to the platen operating means to connect or disconnect said means from said platen, a plurality of electrical circuits, controlled by indexes on the plates, one of said circuits being operative on said solenoid to cause the platen to print plates having predetermined indexes and skip other plates, the other of said circuits being operative on said solenoid to cause the platen to print Aall plates not having said predetermined indexes and skip all plates having said predetermined indexes, and a manually operable switch to select the circuit to operate on said solenoid.

4. In a machineV of the character described, adapted to print from a plurality of address printing plates, some of which have predetermined indexes thereon, the combination of a mechanism for feeding said plates serially to printing position, a platen adapted to coact with said plates, operating means for said platen, a clutch to connect said operating means with said platen, operating means for said clutch including magnetic means, an electric circuit connected with said magnetic means, a pair of electric switches, means responsive from said indexes to operate said switches, and a manually operable means to selectively connect one of said switches with the magnetic means, a source of electrical energy, anda timing switch interposed between said source and said pair of switches.

5. In a machine of the character described, the

.combination yof mechanism for feeding address plates serially to printing position, a platen adapted to coact with such plates, driving means for said platen, mechanism controlled by indexesV on the plate next preceding the plate in printing position for determining whether such plate shall be printed from, said mechanism including a solenoid and an electrical circuit, a pair of electrical switches both operative simultaneously by said mechanism whenever said mechanism cooperates with an index, a connection arranged to be operated on by said solenoid to disconnect the driving connection between the platen and its driving means on the next printing stroke of the platen, and settable means to determine which of said switches will be operable on said circuit. Y

6. In an address printing machine of the type arranged to print addresses from a series of address plates, a platen, means to feed the plates one at a time to printing position, means to operate the plate feed and the platen, a clutch connection between said operating means and the platen, selector mechanism responsive to indexes carried by the address plates to control the operation of said clutch, said selector mechanism including a normally open electric timing switch, a pair `of electric selector circuits responsive to said indexes, an electrical connection between the timing switch and said selector circuits, magnetic means connected to operatesaid clutch, a manually settable means to selectively connect the magnetic means with one of said selector circuits, and means operative on said timing switch to connect the selector switches with a source of electrical energy once in each cyle of operation of the machine.

7. In an address printing machine of the type arranged to print addresses from a series of address plates, some of which have predetermined indexes thereon, a platen, means to feed a plate to printing position at each cycle of operation of the machine, means to operate the plate feed and the platen, a clutch connection between said operating means and the platen, selector mechanism responsive to said indexes carried by the address plates to control the operation of said clutch, said selector mechanism including a normally open electric timing switch, a pair of selector switches, one of which is normally open and the other normally closed, an electrical connection between the timing switch and the selector switches, a solenoid operatively connected to said clutch, a manually operable switch connecting the solenoid with either one of said selector switches at the will of the operator, means operative on said timing switch to connect the selector switches with a source of electrical energy once in each cycle of operation of the machine, and means operative on the selector switches and responsive to the indexes to open the normally closed switch and close the normally open switch, whereby the clutch will be moved to one position under the influence of a certain index at one setting of the manual switch and will be moved to another position when under the influence of a similar index, but with another setting of the manual switch.

8. In a selective printing machine of the character described, the combination of means for feeding printing members one after another to printing position, some of said printing members having thereon selective indexes, an electric switch to determine whether the machine prints from selected printing members or skips selected printing members.

9. In an address printing machine of the type arranged to print addresses from a series of address plates, a platen, feeding means to feed the plates one at a time to printing position, means to operate the plate feed and the platen, a clutch connection between said operating means and the platen, selector mechanism responsive to indexes carried by the address plates to control the operation of said clutch, said selector mechanism including a normally open electric timing switch, a pair of selector switches, one of which is normally open and the other normally closed, an electrical connection between the timing switch and the selector switches, a solenoid operatively connected to said clutch, a manually operable switch connecting the solenoid with either one of said selector switches at the will of the operator, means operative on said timing switch to connect the selector switches with a source of electrical energy once in each cycle of operation of the machine, and means operative on the reflector switches during the latter part of one cycle of operation, and responsive to the indexes to open the normally closed switch and close the normally open switch, and mechanical means operated by said solenoid and acting on the clutch at the next cycle of operation tomove the clutch to one position under the influence of a predetermined index and one setting of the manual switch, and wherein said last-named means will operate to move the clutch to a different position under the inuence of a similar index when the manual switch is moved to a different position.

WALTER T. GOLLWITZER. 

